iScoil helps disengaged students return to education [siliconrepublic.com]
- Published: 13 May 2011
The Presentation Sisters have established Ireland’s first online school, iScoil, for students who are disengaged from the traditional education system.
iScoil is aimed at students aged from 13 to 16 who have not attended school for at least six months and have had other interventions which did not work. It currently has 50 learners located in Dublin, the East Coast, Limerick, Galway and Longford.
Michael Hallissy, director of learning at the Digital Hub in Dublin and a founding partner with H2 Learning, said that the model was inspired by other global initiatives.
“The Presentation Sisters, when they were relooking at their mission, they decided that they wanted to focus on inclusion and they were looking at including young people who were currently not in schools,” said Hallissy.
“They had identified a particular model that they found in the UK called Notschool and they approached them to bring it to Ireland.”
Technology and flexible learning
The technological focus of the project not only appeals to the computer-savvy minds of young students but also gives greater flexibility in the learning experience.
“Online education can personalise the learning experience for these young people so it can allow them to engage in a form of learning, as most of these students are disengaged from school,” said Hallissy.
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